Univision Tops English-Language Rivals in Demo

Broadcaster lands in No. 1 spot for the week

By Sam Thielman on July 10, 2012

It must feel like Christmas for the Big Four broadcast networks because that's usually the time of year they're this unpopular[1]. It's either time for CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox to be ashamed of themselves, or time to celebrate Univision, depending on who you are.

The Spanish-language broadcast network won out over its competitors in the 18-49 dollar demo for the third time ever last week, as well as the also-desirable 18-34 demo. Univision topped Fox by a scant 1 percent in 18-49, with 7 percent over NBC, 15 percent over ABC and a whopping 42 percent up on CBS for the week ending July 8.

All this talk of unpopularity among the Big Four is not to take anything away from Univision. The network is neck-and-neck with NBC in the dollar demo, leading the Peacock 152 out of 294 days in the 2011-12 season to date. Granted, that includes some postseason time for the larger network, but Univision has topped all four of its largest competitors in 18-34 in a majority of days this season, with the exception of Fox.

Shows helping Univision climb the ratings chart include novelas Un Refugio Para El Amor, Abismo de Pasión and La Que No Podía Amar, among others. The network traditionally does well in the summer, but it's a mark of its increasing influence (and some major misfires among summer shows[2]) that it's pulling ahead of its English-language foes this regularly.